J&K Current Affairs 2026 — Short Notes (Quick Revision)
🗞️ J&K CURRENT AFFAIRS 2026 — SHORT NOTES
Window covered: Jan → July 2026 · Source: Parcham J&K CA compilation (assessed in PROJECT-LOG Section 3.9)
Companion: JK-CA-2026-MCQs — 50 questions in the papers' own format
[!important] 📌 Why this matters — and how it's graded J&K current affairs feeds two sections at once: the Current Affairs block and the 30-mark GK (special reference to J&K) block. That second one is half your selection. The 7 papers show JKSSB does not ask "what happened" — it asks which of these statements about it are correct. So every note below is written as facts that can be turned into a statement, not as a news story.
⚖️ Priority tiers — read in this order
| Tier | What | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 🔴 1 | Padma 2026 J&K · Ranji Trophy · Chenab tributaries & dams · Wular/Tulbul · Hokersar · Zoji La | Already asked in the 7 papers, or the topic was asked 3× |
| 🟠 2 | "Firsts" (Saba Shawl, Simran Bala, Sana Fayaz, Sheetal Devi) · Khelo India · Brandt's hedgehog · Kirthai-II/Kwar · Eveready · RMC Jammu | Matches formats the papers demonstrably favour |
| 🟡 3 | Operations · monuments · festivals · awards · schemes | Fill-in marks; one line each is enough |
🔴 TIER 1 — the near-certain block
1. Padma Awards 2026 — the J&K names
🎯 THIS EXACT QUESTION CAME — IN · Q65
"Which J&K personality received Padma Shri (2026) for social work?" → Brij Lal Bhat Options included Omar Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Rehman Rahi. Learn the field, not just the name.
| Name | Field | Key facts |
|---|---|---|
| Brij Lal Bhat | Social Work | From Anantnag · Kashmiri Pandit · Chairman, Administrative Committee, Shri Ramakrishna Mahasammelan Ashram – Vivekananda Kendra, Nagdandi (Anantnag) · advocates return & rehabilitation of displaced families |
| Prof. Shafi Shauq | Literature & Education | Kashmiri poet, writer, linguist & translator · born 1950, Kapren village, Shopian · 100+ books · translated Tolstoy & Chekhov into Kashmiri; Kashmiri Sufi poetry into English · preserving Koshir |
National frame (one line): announced on eve of 77th Republic Day · 131 awards = 5 Vibhushan + 13 Bhushan + 113 Shri · 19 women · 16 posthumous · 6 foreign/NRI/PIO/OCI · Maharashtra highest (15) · 45 "unsung heroes" = "Peoples' Padma".
2. Sahitya Akademi Award 2025 — J&K winners
| Language | Work | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Kashmiri | Najdavanek'y Pot Aalav (Poetry) | Ali Shaida |
| Urdu | Safar Jaari Hai (Poetry) | Pritpal Singh Betab |
| Dogri | Thakur Satsayie (Poetry, Couplets) | Khajur Singh Thakur |
Akademi facts: inaugurated 12 March 1954 · 24 languages = 22 scheduled + English + Rajasthani · ₹1 lakh + plaque + shawl · Ministry of Culture.
3. ⭐ Chenab River — tributaries & dams (the single most-repeated JK-GK topic)
🎯 ASKED THREE TIMES — WG·Q91, WG·Q67, JA·Q60
Every version hinges on the same trap: Ujh is a tributary of the RAVI, not the Chenab.
| Bank | Tributaries |
|---|---|
| Left | Neeru (Niru) · Tawi · Liddrari |
| Right | Ans · Bhut Nalla · Bichleri · Kalnai · Marusudar · Miyar Nalla |
Major dams on the Chenab: Salal (rockfill) · Aalal (concrete) · Baglihar · Dul
[!fix] ⚠️ Error in the source PDF It lists "Niru" and "Neeru" as two separate left-bank tributaries — they are the same river (Neeru Nallah, Bhaderwah). Count it once.
4. Tulbul Navigation Project & Wular Lake
| Tulbul Navigation Project | |
|---|---|
| River | Jhelum |
| Structure | Lock-and-control structure, a.k.a. Wular Barrage, at the mouth of Wular Lake |
| Goal | Maintain min. navigation depth of 1.4 m between Srinagar and Baramulla in lean winter months |
| History | Conceived early 1980s · construction began 1984 · halted 1987 after Pakistan's objections under the Indus Waters Treaty |
| Now | Revived after IWT held in abeyance; CM Omar Abdullah confirmed work with the Centre |
Wular Lake: largest freshwater lake in India · Bandipore district · fed by the Jhelum · Ramsar site since 1990.
The PDF also claims Wular is the "2nd largest freshwater lake in Asia" — treat as an unverified coaching claim. The exam-safe fact is largest freshwater lake in India.
5. Hokersar Lake — CAG warning
🎯 LA · Q75 asked wetland–district pairs including Hokersar – Srinagar.
- CAG warned of severe ecological degradation — over 2,500 kanals encroached
- Also called Hokera · large natural wetland near Srinagar · 13.75 sq km · 1,585 m above sea level
- Lies in the Jhelum River basin; water mainly from the Doodhganga River (a Jhelum tributary)
- Largest bird sanctuary in the Kashmir Valley · Ramsar site · ~68 waterfowl species
- Behind the Pir Panchal, NW Himalayan biogeographic province · rich in reedbeds & water chestnuts
6. Dal Lake — restoration plan shelved
| Old plan | ₹416.72 crore, began 2009 — shelved |
| Why | Only 27% of goals in 17 years; only 1,808 of 9,000 families moved; Rakh-e-Arth site low & flood-prone |
| New plan | ₹212.38 crore over 5 years, designed by IIT Roorkee; dwellers stay and help care for the lake |
7. ⭐ Zoji La Pass
🎯 Passes asked 3× — SF·Q111 (order W→E), SF·Q112 (Banihal), Q40 (Sadhna).
- Western Himalayas · "mountain pass of blizzards" · named after Tibetan goddess Du-Zhi-lha-mo
- ⭐ Only terrestrial link between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh
- ⭐ Second-highest pass on the Srinagar–Leh Highway, after Fotu La · ~3,528 m / 11,575 ft
- Connects Sonamarg → Dras & Suru valleys → Leh
- 1948 Indo-Pak War: seized by Gilgit rebels; recaptured by India in Operation Bison, 1 November 1948 — using tanks
- Zoji-la Tunnel under construction → will be the longest bidirectional tunnel in Asia
🟠 TIER 2 — high probability
8. The "firsts" table ⭐ (JKSSB loves these)
| Person | The first | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Saba Shawl | First Kashmiri woman to head Central Jail Srinagar | Superintendent · from Peerbagh, Srinagar |
| Simran Bala | First lady officer to command 140+ male personnel at the Republic Day parade | 26 · CRPF Assistant Commandant · from Rajouri · Kartavya Path, 26 Jan |
| Sana Fayaz | First woman from the Kashmir Valley to join the IFS (via UPSC) | Won 5 awards at IGNFA Dehradun 2024-batch convocation; presented by Bhupender Yadav |
| Sheetal Devi | Para Archer of the Year 2025 (World Archery) | 19, from Kishtwar · first & only female armless archer · gold, women's compound individual, World Para Archery C'ships, Gwangju, South Korea |
| Ritvik Gupta | First J&K player to win a national U-17 Boys title | Table Tennis · UTT 87th Inter-State Junior & Youth Nationals (TTFI) |
9. Khelo India Winter Games 2026 (6th edition)
| Winner | Indian Army — 23 medals (9G, 6S, 8B); also won 2024 & 2025 |
| ⭐ First three editions | 2020, 2021, 2023 — won by Jammu & Kashmir |
| Hosts | Gulmarg (J&K) — snow events · Leh (Ladakh) — ice sports |
| New this year | Figure skating added for the first time |
| Mascot | "Sheen-E-She (Shan)" — the Snow Leopard |
| J&K haul | 4 medals — 1 gold (snowboarding), 1 silver, 2 bronze |
| J&K gold | Zubair Ahmad Lone — Men's Giant Slalom, Gulmarg leg |
10. ⭐ J&K win maiden Ranji Trophy
🎯 THIS EXACT QUESTION CAME — SF · Q100
"J&K clinched their maiden Ranji Trophy by defeating which team?" → Karnataka
- 28 February 2026 · drew the final but took the title on a 291-run first-innings lead
- Ended a 67-year wait since the team's 1959 debut · captain Paras Dogra
- Venue: KSCA Cricket Stadium, Hubballi, Karnataka
Ranji Trophy background: founded by BCCI, named after Ranjitsinhji (played for England & Sussex — ⭐ never played for India) · announced 1934, first fixtures 1934-35 · trophy donated by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala · Irani Cup started 1960 on completion of 25 years · Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy = T20, from 2008-09.
11. Brandt's Hedgehog — first Indian record
- Paraechinus hypomelas · a desert hedgehog native to Central Asia & the Middle East
- Discovered in the Rajouri–Poonch region → ⭐ first official record of the species in India
- Confirmed by DNA profiling + morphometric studies · hibernates in colder weather
- ⭐ IUCN status: LEAST CONCERN
12. Hydro projects on the Chenab (Kishtwar)
| Project | Capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kirthai-II | 930 MW | Revived a year after the IWT was put in abeyance · by Chenab Valley Power Projects |
| Kwar | 540 MW | ⭐ Run-of-River scheme · landslide near site after heavy rain |
⭐ CVPPL = joint venture: NHPC 51% + JKSPDC 49%
13. Industry & institutions
| Item | Facts |
|---|---|
| Eveready alkaline battery plant | India's FIRST operational alkaline battery plant — and first in the SAARC region · Jammu, April 2026 · ~₹200 crore · SIDCO Industrial Complex, Bari Brahmana, Samba · peak 360 million units, installed 456 million · backed by PLI |
| RMC Jammu | India's 7th Regional Meteorological Centre · inaugurated by Dr Jitendra Singh · serves J&K, Ladakh, Himachal · 4 Doppler radars operational: Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Banihal · 5 more proposed under Mission Mausam: Anantnag, Rajouri, Baramulla, Kishtwar, Doda · next centre → Lucknow |
| 500 Atal Tinkering Labs | AIM under NITI Aayog + J&K School Education Dept + University of Kashmir · ₹100 crore Frontier Region Program · up to ₹20 lakh per school · ⭐ University of Kashmir = nodal mentor via the ATL Sarthi framework |
| Limestone blocks | 2nd tranche: 12 blocks, May 2026, Srinagar — in Anantnag, Rajouri, Poonch · 1st tranche 24 Nov 2025, 7 blocks |
14. Zehanpora, Baramulla — Buddhist excavation
- 2,000-year-old stupas & monastic complex · Kushan period (1st–3rd century CE)
- Stupas, apsidal chaityas (prayer halls), viharas (monk residences), urban settlements
- On the ancient Silk Route corridor linking Kashmir with Gandhara
- ⭐ Buddhism entered Kashmir earlier under Ashoka (3rd century BCE); flourished as Mahayana under Kanishka and Huvishka
🎯 Related PYQ — SF·Q115 asked who presided over the Fourth Buddhist Council (under Kanishka, in Kashmir) → Vasumitra.
🟡 TIER 3 — one line each
Security operations
| Operation | Where | Forces |
|---|---|---|
| Trashi-I | Kishtwar (Chatroo belt) | Army White Knight Corps + J&K Police + CRPF |
| Kiya | Basantgarh, Udhampur | White Knight Corps + CIF (Delta) + J&K Police + CRPF |
| Sheruwali | Rajouri | Army + J&K Police + CRPF |
| Project Hawk Eye | Anantnag — Amarnath Yatra 2026 | J&K Police · 24×7 surveillance |
| "Snow Leopard" squad | J&K Police's first high-altitude combat unit | Debut at Khelo India Winter Games, Gulmarg (~14,000 ft) |
Places, monuments & renamings
- Kathua Railway Station → "Martyr Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua" · ⭐ new code MSKT replacing KTHU · shows as "MC Sunil Kathua"
- Banwat Ekta Sthal, near the LoC in Poonch — inaugurated by Northern Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma · built in 45 days · 105-ft National Flag, tallest in Poonch · has an 'Ekta Mandap'
- Chatergala Pass (10,500 ft) — BRO's Project Sampark: 40-hour rescue, 20 civilians + 40 troops, zero casualties (23 Jan 2026) · connects Bani (Kathua) ↔ Bhaderwah (Doda) · in the Chamba-Doda ranges
- Sonamarg avalanche — Ganderbal district, 27 Jan 2026; blocked the Jammu–Srinagar NH
- Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden — Asia's largest, opened mid-March 2026 by CM Omar Abdullah · 74 acres, Zabarwan Range overlooking Dal Lake · 1.8 million tulips, 70+ varieties · established 2007
Festivals & culture
| Event | Where | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 4th Lavender Festival | GDC Bhaderwah, Doda | By CSIR-IIIM · theme "Lavender Goes Global" · 6–7 June 2026 · Purple Revolution |
| Panzath Nag Festival | Panzath village, Anantnag | Centuries-old community spring-cleaning & fish-catching; ~45 communities; traditional wicker baskets/mosquito nets only |
| Moungari Mela (Shiv-Parvati Mela) | Sar Dabbar, Udhampur | 3-day annual, eve of 1st Jyeshth to 3rd Jyeshth (May–June) |
| Goonj 2026 | University of Jammu, 3rd edition | 27–28 Feb 2026 · LG Manoj Sinha · theme "Dissolving Boundaries, Evolving Education" · 3 segments |
| Republic Day 2026 tableau | J&K | "Handicrafts and Folk Dances of Jammu & Kashmir" |
| 6th National Rafting C'ship | Shibnote, Doda | "The Ultimate River Battle" · Chenab white-water · BSF won both categories |
Governance, awards & schemes
- Sharansthli initiative — LG Manoj Sinha gave compassionate appointment letters to 50 next of kin of terrorism victims; a rehabilitation initiative
- J&K Police — Institutional Performance Award for State Police in Passport Seva 2025-26, ⭐ second consecutive year
- H&UDD SKOCH Awards — Gold: Automated Building Permission System (ABPS) · Silver: J&K Gati Shakti GIS Asset Mapping System
- Vibrant Village Programme-II — six border villages in Kathua added · a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strategic border areas (Kathua shares the International Border with Pakistan)
- NITI Aayog EPI 2024 — ⭐ J&K a leading performer among Small States/NE/UTs (with Uttarakhand, Nagaland, DNH & DD, Goa) · large-state leaders: Maharashtra, TN, Gujarat, UP, AP · first published Aug 2020, 4th edition · 4 pillars, 13 sub-pillars, 70 indicators · target USD 1 trillion merchandise exports by 2030
Boundary & historical issues
- Shaksgam Valley — trans-Karakoram tract north of the Karakoram range; part of the Hunza-Gilgit region of POK · claimed by India, controlled by Pakistan, administered by China as part of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region after the 1963 Sino-Pakistan Frontier Agreement — ⭐ not recognised by India · borders Xinjiang (N), POK Northern Areas (S/W), Siachen Glacier (E)
- Resolution 47 — 21 April 1948 · formally "The India-Pakistan Question" · a UNSC resolution under ⭐ Chapter VI → recommendations, NOT legally binding · three-step process ending in a plebiscite · background: Oct 1947 tribal raiders → Hari Singh acceded → Jan 1948 Nehru approached the UN on Mountbatten's advice
- Shahpur Kandi Dam — on the Ravi, in Pathankot district, Punjab, downstream of Ranjit Sagar Dam · national project 2008 · ₹3,394.49 crore · Punjab 80% / Centre 20% · flow redirected to the Ujh barrage, irrigating J&K and Punjab
⚡ QUICK REVISION TABLE — the 25 facts most likely to be tested
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Brij Lal Bhat — Padma Shri 2026, Social Work, Anantnag ⭐ already asked |
| 2 | Prof. Shafi Shauq — Padma Shri 2026, Literature & Education, Shopian |
| 3 | Ujh = Ravi tributary, NOT Chenab ⭐ asked 3× |
| 4 | Chenab dams: Salal, Aalal, Baglihar, Dul |
| 5 | Wular — largest freshwater lake in India, Bandipore, Ramsar 1990 |
| 6 | Tulbul = Wular Barrage on the Jhelum; halted 1987 |
| 7 | Hokersar — largest bird sanctuary in the Valley; fed by Doodhganga |
| 8 | Dal: old ₹416.72 cr shelved → new ₹212.38 cr by IIT Roorkee |
| 9 | Zoji La — only link Valley↔Ladakh; 2nd highest after Fotu La |
| 10 | Operation Bison, 1 Nov 1948 — recaptured Zoji La with tanks |
| 11 | J&K won maiden Ranji Trophy v Karnataka, 291-run lead ⭐ already asked |
| 12 | Ranjitsinhji never played for India |
| 13 | KIWG: Army won 2026; ⭐ J&K won the first three (2020, 2021, 2023) |
| 14 | KIWG mascot "Sheen-E-She (Shan)" the Snow Leopard |
| 15 | Sheetal Devi — Kishtwar, Para Archer of the Year 2025 |
| 16 | Simran Bala — Rajouri, CRPF, first to command 140+ men |
| 17 | Sana Fayaz — first Kashmir Valley woman in the IFS |
| 18 | Saba Shawl — first Kashmiri woman to head Central Jail Srinagar |
| 19 | Brandt's hedgehog — Rajouri-Poonch, first Indian record, IUCN Least Concern |
| 20 | Kirthai-II = 930 MW, Kwar = 540 MW, both Chenab, Kishtwar |
| 21 | CVPPL = NHPC 51% + JKSPDC 49% |
| 22 | Eveready Jammu — India's & SAARC's first alkaline battery plant |
| 23 | RMC Jammu = India's 7th; radars at Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Banihal |
| 24 | Zehanpora, Baramulla — Kushan-period Buddhist complex |
| 25 | Resolution 47 — 21 Apr 1948, Chapter VI = non-binding |
🪤 MCQ TRAPS — where they will try to catch you
| Trap | The truth |
|---|---|
| "Ujh is a Chenab tributary" | ❌ Ravi. Marusudar, Ans, Tawi, Neeru are Chenab's |
| "Army won the first Khelo India Winter Games" | ❌ J&K won 2020, 2021, 2023; Army won 2024, 2025, 2026 |
| "J&K beat Karnataka in the Ranji final" | ❌ The final was drawn — won on a first-innings lead |
| "Ranjitsinhji, father of Indian cricket, played for India" | ❌ Played for England & Sussex, never for India |
| "Zoji La is the highest pass on the Srinagar–Leh highway" | ❌ Second-highest — Fotu La is higher |
| "Brandt's hedgehog is Endangered" | ❌ Least Concern |
| "Tulbul is on the Chenab" | ❌ Jhelum, at the mouth of Wular |
| "Resolution 47 is binding on India and Pakistan" | ❌ Chapter VI → recommendations only |
| "Kwar is a storage/reservoir project" | ❌ Run-of-River |
| "Shaksgam was ceded to China legally" | ❌ 1963 Pak-China agreement — not recognised by India |
| "Hokersar is the largest wetland in India" | ❌ Largest bird sanctuary in the Kashmir Valley |
| "Eveready's is India's largest battery plant" | ❌ India's first alkaline battery plant |
🎯 IF YOU REMEMBER NOTHING ELSE
Two J&K items from this period ALREADY appeared in the 2026 papers — Brij Lal Bhat's Padma Shri and J&K's maiden Ranji Trophy. Both are locked in; know the field and the opponent, not just the names.
The Chenab is the highest-frequency J&K topic in existence — asked three separate times. Ujh is Ravi. Everything else follows.
JKSSB asks "which statements are correct", not "what happened". Convert every fact above into a true/false statement while revising — that is the exam.
[!warning] ⚠️ What this file does NOT cover — patch these separately The source compilation stops at July 2026 and skips four J&K beats entirely: (1) J&K wildlife/Markhor census — JA·Q59 asked exactly this · (2) J&K politics & governance (Omar Abdullah govt, assembly, statehood) · (3) J&K Budget 2026-27 / GSDP — matters for a finance post · (4) J&K state schemes — LA·Q77 asked MUMKIN. Also add Aug–Oct 2026 when those editions release.
🔗 Related
- JK-CA-2026-MCQs — 50 practice questions in the papers' format
- JK-GK · Current-Affairs · _MOC-Current-Affairs · FAA-MASTER-PLAN · Home
